Somewhere

In bloody, muddy Korea, Douglas MacArthur and his field commander, Major General William F. Dean, had to hold a line somewhere between the battle zone and the southern supply port of Pusan. It seemed vital to hold the Sochon-Taejon-Taegu-Pusan railroad (see map)--double-tracked from Pusan to Taejon, the U.S. field headquarters--not only to feed the U.S. build-up in men and weapons but for lateral mobility behind the defense line. In the western sector, focus of last week's bloodiest fighting, Taejon and the rail line had a fine natural defense in front of them: the Kum River.

When the first U.S. battalions reached Korea, the U.S. commanders had to decide whether to commit them piecemeal, or to build up in greater safety behind the Kum River and wait for the enemy to come south. MacArthur and Dean chose the former. It remained to be seen whether the time gained was worth the cost in casualties and heartbreak to the U.S. troops. Last week they took a severe beating. As this week began, the U.S. troops, with tanks and better artillery reaching them at last, showed signs of standing their ground.

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